11 February 2014

Battling the elements!

It would seem that the weather we have been having lately is here to stay a while longer.....until Spring I'm told so I'm guessing with the way our seasons go we probably have another 6 weeks or there abouts!! I think it's fair to say we are all fed up with the rain and the gales......it makes it hard to get excited about the Spring stuff in the shops!! Just as well there are still a few bits & bobs out there for the transitional period!! Lucky for me as I have recently been looking for a replacement for the H&M parka that I bought back in August (featured on my first ever blog post....here). Unfortunately the zip was faulty and it broke beyond repair just after Christmas. I have to take my hat off to H&M and their customer service as they they took it back no qualms even though I had it for some time!! However....this did leave a bit of a hole in the coat collection as it was the only one I owned with a hood.....and boy have we needed a hood of late!! A hood is a must when you have zero chance of keeping an umbrella up in these blustery gusts and as much as I love my beanie.....a soggy hat just does not cut it when it's lashing down!! The shopping fairies must have been smiling down on me as I managed to stumble across this Topshop parka in store. It was love at first sight!

I did dither....I kept thinking 'isn't it a bit late to be buying another coat??' I do already own a black waxed Whistles parka (sadly no hood though) and I had just about convinced myself I could manage until next Autumn. Especially since the Topshop one was double the price of the original H&M one!! That was until last week when I got caught out in a deluge....then I decided it was time to take action and so I ordered the parka and blimey am I glad I did!! So thrilled with it! It is oversized and there is plenty of room for sweaters and jackets underneath. I love the fur-lined hood....it is really cozy and really pleased with the colour which is a bottle green, nice bit of leather look detailing on it too!! Of course it has already had a couple of outings as the minute it arrived I whipped it out of the packet and wore it straight away! Sign of a great buy!

So here I am sporting it!! Happy to report that it has kept me both warm and dry!!

Topshop parka

Gap Skinny's

Nike Free Trainers

New Look beanie

Here are the rest of my looks from these past few days.

Hobbs sweatshirt

Uniqlo Shirt

Gap Real Stright jeans

Converse trainers

Ahem.....another sneaky little purchase from Pull & Bear in the way of this sweatshirt.....well I did fail Frugal Feb on day 1!!

Pull & Bear sweatshirt

M&S loungewear trousers

Next pumps

And finally......don't faint....a dress!! Thanks to the wonderful Susie So So for helping me to get my mitts on this little number from DP

Dorothy Perkins dress

Jaeger coatigan (courtesy of ebay many moons ago!)

Office Brogues

So am I alone in still buying weather led items?! Have you had to dash out to stock up on any clothing essentials to brave the elements?? Or is everybody now head long into planning their Spring must haves??

Hope you are all keeping warm and dry people and that you have been fortunate enough not to suffer any awful circumstances during this weather madness!

Love reading your thoughts and responding to them!!

Until next time, Michelle xx

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26 comments

I love the leather detailing on it too! Its perfect! I need one asap as the school runs on the bus are killing me! I love the M&S trews & need to go dig my black harems out! Not at all inspired atm.....roll on Spring! Ax

Love your new parka Michelle & with the weather we're currently having (it's actually snowing here as I type!!) I'm sure you're going to get plenty of use from it before Spring arrives!! Jane xxwww.mymidlifefashion.com

Do you know Anne that another reason I went for the parka was that not last Summer but the one before I remember still wearing my parka in June on my daughters sports day as it hosed down.....how sad is that!!! Fingers crossed for glorious sunshine 2 years in a row for sports day this year!! xx

It's always the fur around the hoods that attract me and this looks like great fur! I think you can be forgiven for buying it Michelle, I never did get a new puffa coat this year and I'm still trying to stop myself! xx

There is still time to be buying that puffa coat Sharron.....who would Adam and Eve it that I would still be buying a proper coat in Feb?! It's nuts but a necessity sadly!! Luckily I love ithe new coat which is lucky as i shall probably end up wearing it all year round.....such as the weather conditions are in the UK!!:0( xx

Great parka, Michelle. I'm sure you'll get tonnes of wear from it. I resisted a parka in Next at the weekend as my Dorothy Perkins one isn't warm enough when it's really cold. Frugal fab going well so far... Lynne x

I've got a pair of snow boots winging their way to me so NO - never too late to buy warm stuff. We still had snow on the ground last year at the end of March! Love the new parka and the Nikes too, oh and the denim dress! x

I love Parka's, stylish but practical. Your Topshop one is gorgeous & you can't beat the classic khaki colour. Unfortunately, (or fortunately, lol!) I think you will be getting a lot of wear out of it for some weeks to come!! x